Our Horizons
by Debora Wain
Summary: Raizo finds himself looking back into Kiriko's eyes in the midst of a fight. Now that she's returned and fighting beside him: Will they be able to go back to what they once shared? Or does Kiriko's return have another ending?


**Disclaimer: I own no character from the movie.**

**This is just one of my many movie-twists. It's set after Raizo finishes with the whole Ozunu clan. Enjoy.**

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Raizo ran down the street. His kusarigama's chain ringing down his hand as he panted darting against the brick walls, landing once again on the wet ground. He had trained his body countless times, just like when a child, to not feel pain. The open wounds embedded into his arms and chest were not deep enough to cause an actual grunt of pain from his lips, though the blood loss was unnatural in the eye of those who were untrained for the ways he was drilled into. An unskilled man would have fallen to his knees in agonizing cries at the first lash from the shuriken's thrown from the dark. But Raizo still had a firm stand and strong grip of his weapon, pushing aside the stream of blood running down his right arm. He took a sharp left, his steps echoing down the alley, feeling _them_ follow closely behind. Though the last thing he wanted was for more people to be endangered, he knew that the slightest advantage of light would make things a dab lighter.

After finishing with the Ozunu clan, Raizo took the decision of residing in Berlin. He had nothing waiting for him anywhere else, so why leave the city he had made a home of? Not soon after two days back in Berlin, he found himself destroying the insides of buildings and parking lots as he fought off clans in search for vengeance of his betrayal. Mika had in fact informed him of the extension of murders that seemed everything but normal as soon as he returned to the city. After her words had reached him, he sensed every inch of his body itching at the alert of more of those who he once called brothers. He wasn't as surprised as Mika at the possibility the company of more Ninjas would arise. It was as simple as Raizo pondering around the idea of vengeance brewing within the other clans once the news of the Ozunu's annihilation reached them.

Coming close to the end of the alley, Raizo dropped his kusarigama to mid air. Twisting around he swung the weapon around him, with it taking down three mercinarries of the Iga clan. Three spikes pierced his thigh, pushing him back. Raizo took composure before he could fall; after pulling the spikes out he took a deep and sharp breath and charged forwards. He swung the kusarigama to the left, wrapping it around the leg of three assassins and cutting them down. He pulled the weapon back in time to fend himself with the kusarigama's blade from several darts. The whisperings of his treason began to erupt around him as more shadows became assassins. Blood dripped from the sharp end of the kusarigama as his hand gripped tighter around the handle, ready for any attack. His eyes narrowed on the four-pointed star thrown at him. Before he could act, a shogee was thrown between him and the weapon; stopping the act. His eyes flashed his surroundings in search of the person who helped him.

Knowing if he continued to waist time looking for a probable ghost, he would loose his life or the opportunity to eliminate those who would continue pursuing him and killing others as business. He pressed his hand down on the closest dumpster, landing on the stairs and making his way to the roof of the building he had beside him. His senses told him they were following. Not as if it contained any surprise. Once in the roof, his steps were accompanied by the pebbles that made the ground. He moved in circular motion, observing how each assassin rose from the shadows yet again. With a grunt he took charge. His kusarigama slashed around him, blood dripping the blade. Raizo took steps accurately, making sure he didn't give his back to any of them long enough for an attack that would penetrate him. His hearing perceived spikes were being thrown around him. But not at him. Maybe his ghost was no ghost at all. He turned, but before he could analyze the situation, a woman stood beside him. Fighting by his side.

Once she turned, his eyes widened in shock. She looked at him. "Raizo. To your right," she shouted, fighting with the mercenaries that now were attacking her as well.

He knew he had no time to waist. His kusarigama took out seven more. And by the sound of it, she had taken out a bundle herself. He couldn't very well say what was happening was real. He could make out as much till the moment he turned and found her fighting beside him. Yet the idea of her being there, beside him, felt unreal.

His eyes darted back at her. "Kiriko," her name slipped out so effortless that if gave him the impression seeing her die all those years ago had never happened. Her eyes locked with his. She was real. She had to be alive to be standing beside him. Didn't she? "Behind you," he shouted. Before she could turn and fend for herself, Riazo couldn't help but cast his kusarigama. Taking out the assassin behind her, he stepped to her side and wrapped his arm around her waist.

Kiriko looked at him stunned. "What are you doing?" He gave no answer and simply pulled her down the building with him. He felt her hands tighten at his shoulders as they dropped. Rolling over on the street, he waisted no time in grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet before breaking into a run. "Raizo," she called outraged. But he didn't speak nor looked back. All that he knew was that with her becoming a distraction, he would not be able to concentrate. He was never ready to see Kiriko alive and fighting beside him out of the blue. Never.

After what felt like hours running, Raizo pulled her into an open market. Slowing down his pace, Kiriko pulled her hand away from his. Once he turned to look at the reason why, she passed him and took charge of the way they headed. As he walked behind her, the chatter of the market was all the noise around them. His eyes darted around, studying the shadows that could become more than that. But found nothing. He turned back to Kiriko, only to find she was no longer around. His eyes ran down the market. But found nothing.

Kiriko walked silently down the street, her hands dug deep in her jacket. Stepping down from the sidewalk, her hand took hold of the key in her pocket. Opening the drivers door she slammed the door shut. Cursing she turned the engine on and drove down the Berlin lit streets. Her hands gripped the steering wheel as she cursed yet again. Her plan of not being near Raizo till the right moment had crumbled. After dying and being brought back to life, all she could really do was restart her life. But the place where she had been brought back and taken care of till healthy, only contained information of Raizo's whereabouts and fightings. She had put aside her plans to start new and begun training; though knowing that what happened before her death was something she could no longer call her own memories, she would help Raizo. She would help him finish the clans that were after him till her body allowed her to. Even though it meant the knowledge of her existent being exposed.

Raizo closed the door of his apartment. He took a good look around once he flipped the switch on. He had added furniture for the sake of it, but he would push them back when he would drop to his training. Throwing his keys on the kitchen counter, he ran a hand through his hair with a deep sigh. Kiriko was alive. He had held her hand, had held her body. She was alive. He closed his eyes only recovering the memory of the instant Takeshi drove his blade deep into her chest. His eyes shot open, his hand closed into a tight fist. Reaching for his back, the chain of his -now clean- kusarigama dropped on the floor. He brought it forwards looking down at the blade as he ran his thumb across it. Walking over to the window he kneeled down pulling up the cushion of the chair in the corner. He placed the weapon in its resting place.

It had been a long night. The second he saw Kiriko beside him, he knew there was only one person who could explain how such a thing happened. He knew he'd have to go to her tomorrow and demand answers that would stop the dwelling of Kiriko's death in his head. He had defeated Ozunu in her honor. Yet seeing her changed everything he thought he cleared.

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**I took the liberty of studying a bit of Ninja clans and landed with two regions that villages were said to be devoted in training of ninjas. Supposedly they were the first to appear when in the trainings. The Iga and Koga. Not that i'm saying they were assassins or anything, just that they are said to have trained ninjas. And so to add ninjas to the story, I did a bit of research and added them to the plot as the ones looking for their type of "justice". Heck, I did the general research just for the fun of it. I effin' loved this movie.**


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